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How to go about cleaning a mil-surp??
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 Posted: Fri Jan 20th, 2006 05:13 AM
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greysmoke
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Gents

What practices do you use to clean a mil-surp when you just get it?

Is there anything special to do, im thinking in the lines of getting the gunk out of the bore that might have been left there for a rather long time.....

all the best

 



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 Posted: Fri Jan 20th, 2006 08:52 AM
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Timberghozt
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Hey Grey...A year and a half ago,I bought a VZ24 Mauser 98 action chambered in 8mm Mauser.I think it was stamped 1933 on the receiver.This may be the exception but you would have been amazed when you put the bore light in this rifle.Whoever had owned the rifle kept the bore immaculate.I mean probably cleaner than I keep most of my hunting rifles.:sofa:
Upon disassembly I noticed some very minor gunk below the woodline and left over residue of what looked to be cosmoline.
The rifle was butchered for the action and the gunk removed from the receiver with a nylon bristled brush at high speed with a Dremel tool.

I am sure many of the rifles that have been in storage for decades though are gonna be nasty.

I look forward to heraing how you C & R collectors clean em up....:thumbs:



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 Posted: Fri Jan 20th, 2006 09:50 PM
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Charley
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For cleaning grease from the bore, there is nothing as cheap that works as well as Ed's Red. I use it to clean most of the exterior as well. I also use brake cleaner to clean grease from milsurp...pretty much the same solvents as the various "gun scrubbers", but cost about a quarter as much as dedicated gun stuff.



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 Posted: Fri Jan 20th, 2006 10:09 PM
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BigBill
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I use the orginal G.I. Rifle Bore Cleaner and if its really caked on that bad I use a tub from walmart with 4 gallons of kerosene in it and just take off the wood and let the metal soak for a few days.  With the wood I was it with alcohol and paper towels to get the surface grease off and if the wood is really bad i use the Murphy's Wood soap straight out of the bottle letting it soak and the grease will come up to the surface then wipe it dry and repeat if its still bad.  On the really oil soaked stocks you can use the black plastic bag treatment you put the stock in a black plastic bag and put it in the car or out in the hot sun and let it cook out the oil.  I have seen some stocks still weep oil after doing everything.:confused:

I purchase my G.I. Rifle Bore Cleaner and G.I. Weapons Oil from;  http://www.colemans.com/

Last edited on Fri Jan 20th, 2006 10:12 PM by BigBill



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 Posted: Sat Jan 21st, 2006 01:22 PM
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Poacher
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I know a dealer who takes all his military guns breaks em down as far as he thinks they need to go and puts em in a tank with boiling water and some solvent. Lets em sit for about 10 or so minutes and takes them out scrubs what needs to be scrubed and puts em back in for another 10. 

   When they come out as clean as he likes he blows em off with a air compressor lubes em and puts them away.  He's done this for as long as I've known him and his guns all look good.

  Take care Be safe Poacher.



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 Posted: Mon Jan 30th, 2006 12:34 PM
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BigBill
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The worst cosmoline i have cleaned so far is the Albanian sks's it took many days of soaking in kerosene and scrubbing and scraping to get the hard thick coat of cosmoline off of them.  The finish on the stocks was affected by the cosmo too. The next gun has to be the enfields they were soaked in cosmo too.



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